Methods of Manipulating Public Opinion Through TV Advertising

Television survives on advertising. That’s obvious. But that’s their problem. I want to watch TV, but I can’t stand commercials. Dumb ads interrupt an interesting movie or show every fifteen minutes… Ugh, it’s infuriating. It would be fine if they just told me about products and services—that’s actually useful. But instead, THEY start telling me how to live my life. They tell me what and where I need to buy so that everything in my life will be OK! They tempt me, brainwash me. And that’s what annoys me the most. I’m not stupid—I can figure things out for myself.

So here’s the question: How can you recognize when advertising is brainwashing you? How do you tell honest ads that INFORM from dishonest ones that just manipulate you into buying?

Honestly, the phrase “honest advertising” almost makes you smile. But I like your approach. It’s spot on. So, without further ado:

Signs of a Commercial That Focuses on “Brainwashing”

I. Pseudologic, Direct Falsification, and Subconscious Suggestion

• There’s no direct call to buy; instead, the ad shows a process of constant consumption. It strongly suggests that simply owning some ordinary product will supposedly make your life happy and carefree, creating a sense of celebration—unlike the dull everyday life of those who don’t buy it.
• The ad emphasizes that owning the advertised product supposedly gives you some social advantage over others in various life situations, and that not having it does the opposite (this exploits the principle of social comparison).
• It creates an artificial cause-and-effect relationship between things that have nothing to do with each other (“Drink a cup of instant coffee—and unforgettable adventures await you”).
• The script uses truisms like “everyone knows that…”, “it’s common knowledge that…”, “all parents love their children…”, “all women buy this…”.
• It uses lots of “tricky” words that distort reality: “Only…”, “Just…”, “Simply…” (“Only $999.99”, “Just pick up the phone and make a purchase for only $500…”).
• The commercial is structured as a story: first, the beginning, then the purchase, then a happy ending. Sometimes the beginning and end are swapped. In this case, the story about the product in the middle isn’t critically evaluated by the viewer.

II. Psychophysiological Techniques in TV Advertising That Lower Critical Thinking

• The script constantly repeats the name of the advertised product. Be especially wary when there are two overlapping texts—like a song and a narrator, background noise, or two or three voices at once (an information overload technique).
• It uses psychological anchoring or creates a conditioned reflex: other products are “bad,” our product is “good.” For example, “Other food processors…” (with anxious music and irritated or sad faces), “our food processor…” (calm, soothing music and happy, smiling couples). Another example: “In other diapers…” (background: a baby crying), but when “Johnson Baby diapers” are mentioned, the baby laughs happily.
• It uses visuals like moving through a 3D tunnel—concentric circles, spinning spirals, corridors coming out of the screen, and other hypnotic effects.
• It plays with color—showing dull black-and-white images (life is gray without the product) and then switching to bright, saturated colors when showing happy owners of the advertised product.
• TV ads often manipulate sound—the volume during commercials is suddenly much louder than the “background” level. Notice how some commercials “blast your ears” when they suddenly interrupt a radio or TV show. This sudden sound jolt lowers your critical perception of the ad’s message.
• There’s blatant sexual innuendo in ads for products that have nothing to do with sex (coffee, cigarettes, cars, appliances, etc.). Notice how many half-naked attractive people of both genders appear in such commercials.

This is the bare minimum that’s immediately obvious and that every consumer should know about advertising.

The main purpose of advertising—selling products and making a profit—isn’t something to condemn in itself. In the end, we all strive for wealth and success. That’s normal. What we shouldn’t tolerate are the attempts of unscrupulous advertisers to profit by cynically manipulating consumers. Even if such deception isn’t illegal, it doesn’t make it right.